Angularly adjustable and collapsible back rest



H. SACK Sept. '5, 1950 ANGULARLY ADJUSTABLE AND comrsmm BACK ass'rs 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed ma 20, 1949 INVENTOR.

A RNEY Sept. 5, 1950 H. SACK ANGULARLY AND COLLAPSIBLE BACK RESTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed llay 20, 1949 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 5, 1950 ANGULARLY ADJUSTABLE AND COLLAPSIBLE BACK REST Harry Sack, Washington, D. 0.

Application May 20, 1949, Serial N 0. 94.280

3 Claims.

This invention relates to beach and lawn furniture, and more particularly to a device adapted to be used for reclining incomfortable positions for reading, sunbathing, or the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a device of the type described including a main frame and a back-rest pivotally connected and arranged in such a manner that the backrest may be placed at any desired angle relative to the main frame when in use, and the side rails of the main frame will provide arm-rests, while the back-rest may be readily brought to a flush position within the main frame, when not in use, to facilitate carrying, transportation, or stacking. In that connection, the invention also includes a novel bracket arrangement for supporting the back-rest at the selected angle with respect to the main frame, and which bracket may be swung into a plane parallel with the back-rest when the device is collapsed thereby to completely nest the bracket between the backrest and the main frame when the device is collapsed.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide a simple and practical construction which may be economically produced and which is sturdy and substantial in use.

With the above and other objects in view, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the construction shown in Figure 1;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the bracket carried by the back-rest; 1

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view similar to Figure 2 showing the parts in a lower position;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the device in its collapsed condition for transportation or stack- 1118:

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view showing the pivotal connection between the main frame and the back-rest:

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view of one of the side members of the back-rest and the related side rail of the main frame;

Figure 7 is a perspective view illustrating how the units may be conveniently stacked.

spending parts throughout the several figures of the drawings. a

As shown in the drawings, the device comprises a main frame designated generally as A and including the opposite side rails I and 2 connected at their rear ends by a cross-bar 3. The upper edges of each of the side rails I are provided with a plurality of related forwardly inclined notches 4 and with a rearmost vertical notch 5.

The back-rest is designated generally as B, and preferably comprises the opposite frame members 6 and I connected by the cross braces 8 and 9. These cross braces are preferably round structural elements whose opposite ends are embedded in the related frame members and preferably held by a fastening 9, as shown in Figure 6. Said braces are also positioned below the upper edge of the frame members 6 and I to thereby permit of making the surface of the back-rest flush with the upper edges of the frame members 6 and I. As will be seen from the drawings, the back-rest surface preferably consists of a pair of longitudinal slats I0 and II which in turn carry a plurality of spaced cross slats I2, thereby to provide a relatively firm but resilient back-rest surface which is also cool and comfortable due to the lateral spacing of the slats I2.

The opposite frame members 6 and I of the back-rest B are pivotally connected as indicated at I3 to the side rails I and 2 inwardly of the front ends thereof to provide arm-rest portions D when the device is set up for use. The overall length of the frame members 6 and I of themtire back-rest B is less than the length of the side rails I and 2 so that when the back-rest is collapsed to be flush within the frame, the upper ends of the frame members 6 and I willn'est within and behind the cross bar 3 of the main frame. The pivot I3 is preferably in the form of a bolt which pierces the related side rails and frame members and may be provided with sleeve and washer elements, as shown in Figure 5, to insure free relative pivotal movement between the backrest and the main frame.

The back-rest B is intended to be supported at any desired inclination or angle to the ground by adjusting the supporting bracket C to the desired Position. When the bracket 0 is adjusted, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, it will, of course, be understood, that the back-rest B will assume the desired upward inclination, and likewise the side rails I and 2 of the main frame will have their front ends forming the arm-rests D inclined upwardly with respect to the cross bar 3.

similar reference characters designate corre- 55 Referring more in detail to the bracket 0,

it will be observed that the same preferably includes a pivot rod 14 whose opposite end portions l4 fit into the sockets 14 (Figure 6) of the frame members of the back-rest. Thus, it will be seen that the rod l4 may freely pivot in the sockets H. The rod l4 carries at its medial portion a, substantialhr inverted T-shaped member comprising the shank l5 and the head Hi. The head It has such a length as to nest within the side rails I and 2 of the main frame when the device is collapsed, as will be apparent from Figure 4. The outer ends of the head l6 may be conveniently provided with dowels H or their equivalent for engaging the corresponding pairs of notches 4 or 5 in the side rails l and 2.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that when the device is in use as shown in Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, the brackets C may be adjusted so that the dowels ll fit in a selected pair of notches 4 of the side rails I and 2. By selecting other notches, the angle of the back-rest B may be adjusted as desired. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the back-rest B is shown in its lowermost inclined position due to the fact that the dowel l1 engages the rearmost series of notches 4.

When it is desired to collapse the unit, it is only necessary to swing the bracket C so as to lift the dowels I! out of the rearmost pair of inclined notches 4 and place the same in the vertical notches 5 sothat the device will be completely collapsed with all parts flush and nested one within the other, as shown in Figure 4. When the parts are in this position, an individual device may be readily carried or transported by the user, and because of its lack of bulk, or compactness, as well as light weight, the carrying burden is very light. Also, it is to be noted that when the dowels I! are in the vertical notches 5, the back-rest B will not inadvertently tend to swing or move relative to the main frame A while the device is being carried, although in setting up the device, the dowels may be readily removed from the holding notches when the bracket is lifted. Because of the compactness with which the parts nest in collapsing, it will be readily seen from Figure 7 that a number of units may be stacked and tied in bundles for transportation This is a particularly useful feature where a number of devices are used, for example, on a beach where the devices are rented out, and when it is desired to gather them up for storage, they may be conveniently and neatly stacked in a minimum amount of space.

I claim:

1. A beach and lawn rest, comprising, a main frame including parallel side rails connected at their rear ends by a cross-bar, said rails having a plurality of corresponding forwardly inclined notches and a pair of corresponding rearmost vertical notches, a back-rest pivotally connected between the side rails inwardly of their front ends to provide arm-rests when the device is set up for use, a back-rest supporting bracket pivotally connected to the back-rest between its point of pivotal connection with the side rails and its upper end, dowel means carried by the bracket for engaging the inclined notches to hold the backrest in selected angular relation to the frame when in use and to engage the vertical notches when the back-rest is folded flush with the side rails and cross-bar of the frame.

2. A beach and lawn rest according to claim 1, wherein the back-rest supporting bracket comprises a rod pivotally carried by the back-rest and an inverted T-shaped shank and head element, the said head element being of less length than the distance between the side rails of the main frame.

3. A beach and lawn rest, comprising, a main frame including parallel side rails connected at their rear ends by a cross-bar, said rails having a pluralit of corresponding forwardly inclined notches and a pair of corresponding rearmost vertical holding notches, a back-rest pivotally connected between said side rails inwardly of their front ends to provide arm-rests when the device is set up for use, said back-rest comprising a pair of parallel frame members, cross-rods connecting the frame members at a point below their upper edges, a back-rest surface supported on the cross-rods and flush with the upper edges of the frame members, a, back-rest supporting bracket pivotally connected to the frame members of the back-rest between the uppermost cross-rod and the upper end of the back-rest, dowel means carried by the bracket for engaging the inclined notches to hold the back-rest in selected angular relation to the frame when in use and to engage the vertical holding notches when the back-rest is folded flush with the side rails and crossbar of the frame.

HARRY SACK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 401,653 Kaufmann Apr. 16, 1889 418,857 Waugh Jan. 7, 1890 1,151,894 Meinecke Aug. 31, 1915 1,896,455 McCulloh Feb. '7, 1933 2,250,026 Laukhuflf Jul 22, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 253,701 Great Britain June 24, 1926 

